Central America

Jewel Scarab Pendant

Additional Pendants Originating from this Region

Jewel Scarab: The origin of this beetle is the western area of Panama near the border with Costa Rica, in the province called Chiriqui (pronounced “cheer-ee-key”) where coffee is an economic mainstay. This is one of a number of species of Central American beetles prized by insect collectors for their brilliant color and rarity. To learn more about jewel scarabs and the importance of conserving their forest habitat, visit the National Geographic website: www.nationalgeographic.com

Coffee and Tropical Forests

Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages, and growing consumer demand for this beverage is a cause of destructive practices in many tropical forests. The coffee plant evolved as a bush that grows in the under story of mountain forests in Eastern Africa. It thrives in rich, well-drained soils in tropical climates. Traditional cultivation methods consist of clearing away much of the forest under story while leaving some or all of the canopy trees in place, thereby simulating the native habitat for this shade adapted plant. Shade cultivation has multiple ecological benefits because it helps preserve the rich biodiversity of native flora and fauna that depend upon forest habitat. Coffee is often grown in steep mountain terrain, where a mature tree canopy minimizes erosion caused by rain and wind on exposed soils. A healthy canopy also renews the natural organic matter in soil that derives from decaying leaf litter and other detritus produced by forest species. Shade-growing varieties of coffee plants are also relatively long lived, and can produce coffee crops for up to 50 years.

Historically, most of the world’s coffee has been cultivated on relatively small land parcels under shade conditions. However, newer varieties of coffee have been bred to grow in full sun and are steadily replacing the traditional shade varieties. These “sun coffee” plants produce higher yields of beans for shorter periods of time, 10 to 15 years, but quickly become dependent upon fertilizers as the soils erode and can no longer provide sufficient nutrients to support healthy crop production. Furthermore, dependency on agricultural chemicals also creates additional costs and health hazards for growers. On a regional level, deforestation also has dramatic effects on downstream fresh and marine aquatic ecosystems because it contributes to sedimentation, nutrient and agrochemical runoff pollution, and fisheries decline. Once deforested and depleted of healthy soils, tropical agricultural lands are often converted to livestock pasture or abandoned altogether. This pattern has contributed to the dramatic loss of tropical forests and the great biodiversity they support in recent decades.

CASE STUDY – Finca Hartmann

As has been illustrated above, once they have cleared their forests and planted sun coffee, growers have sacrificed sustainable, long-term methods in exchange for the promise of short-term reward. They also contribute to tropical deforestation and the current accelerating global rate of species extinction. Panama is a Central American country that has lost over 80% of its original native forests to human activities, mostly agriculture. Scientists have demonstrated that migratory and resident bird populations are consistently more diverse and abundant in shade coffee than in sun coffee. To learn more about one Panamanian farm which grows shade coffee utilizing sustainable methods and how you might visit in person, visit the website of Finca Hartmann

Many bird species thrive in shade coffee and the forest canopy which it preserves.

Preserving forest habitat promotes biodiversity

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Sun Coffee	Shade Coffee

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Map of the Panama Region

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